Ah, but that's the beauty (or rather, the schizophrenia) of this league...

One minute we're making plans for trips to Walsall and MK Dons: the next, we're dreaming of a dramatic return to the Greed is Good League. In answer to your question: yes, the drink is indeed talking. At our very best, we look a terrific side - but that doesn't happen often, is far more likely to occur at home than away, and with just one more key injury.... well, you know the rest.

The bottom line is, just to scrape into the top 6 in 01/2, we spent a serious amount of dosh the previous summer; and went up in 03/4 while paying wages which were almost 80% of our turnover! These are very different times, and Grant needs to build slowly.

Don't get me wrong: I couldn't resist taking a quick peek at our fixtures earlier and working out the very best case scenario. And we've done it before, coming from 14th in early February 1982 to 3rd by season's end. In reality, we have no more than 10 points to play with over our final 16 games: we need a total of 75 (and it could well be more) to stand a chance, and that means a mere 2 defeats and 2 draws or 5 draws. We'd have to win pretty much ALL our remaining home matches (could maybe afford to draw one - against either Brum or West Brom), and avoid defeat on our toughest away trips (Preston, Cardiff, Colchester): theoretically, it's just about possible - but not with our squad I'm afraid.

It is frustrating though: if these Premiership loan signings do materialise, it makes you wonder where we'd have been with just a handful more points. As it is, we've left ourselves way, way too much to do: credit for Grant for not giving up on it, but as far as promotion goes, the fat lady is already on stage and clearing her throat. But hey, at least it makes a change to be thinking about moving upwards again: a fair few on here were probably borderline suicidal at half time yesterday!

Posted By: thebigfeller, Feb 4, 04:22:54